Neighbour using my drop kerb!

[mykerb]

A new family have moved in next door - not attached we are a row of two semi's each and so on..
I have a driveway and a dropped kerb. So it goes my drive, pavement and then the dropped kerb.

My next door neighbours have a make shift drive (from previous tenants) but NO dropped kerb, it doesn't help that their neighbours have 4 cars and two permanently parked outside their garden so the new neighbours have nowhere to park except down the road because of it but again not my problem!

They have started driving over my drop kerb to park in the make shift drive, I have started parking on my dropped kerb to make a point of it and I did block them in, to which the woman politely asked if I could move my car so she could reverse out, I told her I don't appreciate her using the kerb to park in, to which she replied that she is going to be getting the curb outside hers dropped but it will take a while due to getting planning permission etc and it's hard to walk down the road with 3 kids and a newborn so it's just been more convenient, but she won't do it again if it bothers me.

Tbh she hasn't had a chance to park there again as I have started parking in front of my drive, on my dropped kerb but my sister has said I'm being petty for no reason and making her life harder and it's not a big deal! And it's really irked me because now I don't know if I'm being unreasonable or not!

You sound awfully petty, one of those nightmare neighbour types! She has children and a newborn and you're going out of your way to make her life harder just to prove a point. Here's a tip, don't be the reason somebody's day is ruined! Poor woman, I'd happily let her use my drip kerb until she got one installed.

Stop it 😂 you need to get a life

I’m assuming you live in London or somewhere where congestion rules apply. If so, you’re right and there is usually signage along the road to advise drivers not to park across dropped kerbs - or alternatively white line markings on the road across the length of the dropped kerb.

It’s not petty, it’s spiteful. I’m glad you’re not my neighbour.

Your being a unkind twat. Blatant enough for you?

She's going to get her dropped it will take time, way to go in being a nice new neighbour. Literally how does this affect you negatively, she's not blocking you in, you know it's temporary,and you can see its a struggle for her with a newborn to top. You absolute awful person.

I really think you are being unreasonable and unkind. She is using it for about 30 seconds a day and they plan to get one. It costs you nothing to be kind.

@Rosscameasdoody so you'd much rather a mother with 4 small children have to get her kids in the car on a road side rather than be able to access her own driveway on the chance that she might cause some damage to a footpath by driving about 2mph?

Common sense really is lost on some people 😅

Parking is a very contentious issue in many parts of the country, and it sounds as if it is the case where you are also. I don't think you are being at all petty, as by driving over your dropped kerb she is causing extra wear and tear on your kerb which will fall to you to repair in the long run, and it was a bit presumptous of her to do so without clearing with you first, since you have paid for your dropped kerb. Taking a firm stand now, as you have, will ensure boundaries are set from the off and will encourage her to chase up council about her dropped kerb if she has, indeed, put in an application for one. I am sure this matter shouldn't affect your neighbourly relations in the future, if she respects your position.

In the meanwhile, I have heard that it is illegal to park across your own drive (discussed doing this in future when my daughter learns to drive), so you should go back to parking on the drive and trust that your neighbour sticks to her word not to drive across it in future - you can remind her off her promise if she does do it again, otherwise you will come across as petty and mistrustful, and she will problably find your actions offensive.

I’m glad you’re not my neighbour. Although also glad to see you can see YABU.

No the neighbour isn't.

No-one can impede access to a dropped kerb - not even the person who paid for it.

The offence the neighbour may be committing is driving a yard or two over the pavement to get from the dropped kerb outside OP's house to her own, but that's for the council to address.

Aww I feel so sorry for the neighbour sounds like both sides of her are very unhelpful and make her life harder than it needs to be. A little bit of kindness can go so far. Hopefully her dropped curb will happen sooner rather than later

it was a bit presumptous of her to do so without clearing with you first, since you have paid for your dropped kerb

You are assuming the new neighbour is psychic and was aware that OP had paid for this particular section of dropped kerb.

Wow your neighbour sounds nice - unlucky her. Yes your being unreasonable.

Given the circumstances, I would try to be helpful to your neighbour and not make a fuss about her using the drop kerb until she gets her own sorted.

Nope. At no point did l ever say that - just pointing out the practicalities and reasons why driving over the pavement is illegal. It’s not the speed that matters, it’s the weight of the car if the pavement hasn’t been specially reinforced. And living opposite a school I’ve seen mothers with children do some disgustingly dangerous things at the roadside and displaying consistently selfish behaviour towards other motorists and residents alike.

I feel so sorry for your neighbour. What absolute knobby behaviour from you and for no other reason than that it ‘irks’ you? Why do you feel the need to be so mean? What do you possibly gain from that?

@Problemzapper It isn’t her kerb.

Do you think the council or Highways Agency as appropriate give away bits of their land on roads and pavements to householders whose land is the other side of the pavement?

You pay for the councils costs in making their kerb accessible to your driveway. It isn’t then yours to police, any more than the pavement outside your house is.

If dropped kerb access isn’t provided at every property on the road, then it’s reasonable to assume that where it exists it’s been paid for. And OP said neighbour intended to apply for her own. So reasonable to assume that although not psychic, she would have had at least an inkling that OP had paid for her own access.

You paid for the council to drop the kerb.....it's not YOUR kerb, you don't own it.

You sound incredibly petty and quite a nasty, petulant neighbour.

Even despite the drawing, I can't work this out!!!

Actually I agree with the OP. She's paid for it. Be a bit like someone using the Wifi you pay for and saying, well you've already paid for it does it matter if someone else logs on too.

Must be a 'London' thing thou because I can't imagine for a minute why someone with 4 kids who needs access buys a house like that. Buy what you need!

It is if you totally block a drive, even your own, or one that doesn’t have a car on it. They have to be left with enough space for entrance and egress.

You mind that she uses the dropped kerb in front of your house to drive through to her driveway? Do I understand that correctly?
If she is not parking in your way, on your property I dont see why you are annoyed, let alone park on purpose so she cant get into hers. Are you annoyed with the neighbours down the road, the ones with the four cars?
Do you get annoyed like this often? I sometimes do get annoyed when people behave badly and it affects me but this doesnt even seem to do you any harm?

Dropped kerbs belong to the owners of the houses they are situated outside, and would have been paid for either by the current or previous owner and factored into the value of the house accordingly - I thought that was obvious?

Pathetic

Perhaps you're just not a particularly pleasant neighbour? Just a thought.